{"id":23110,"date":"2022-08-20T08:23:15","date_gmt":"2022-08-20T12:23:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/?p=23110"},"modified":"2022-08-20T08:23:15","modified_gmt":"2022-08-20T12:23:15","slug":"elshafee-el-sheikh-ex-briton-isis-beatle-sentenced-to-life-in-prison","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/2022\/08\/20\/elshafee-el-sheikh-ex-briton-isis-beatle-sentenced-to-life-in-prison\/","title":{"rendered":"Elshafee El Sheikh: Ex-Briton ‘Isis Beatle’ sentenced to life in prison"},"content":{"rendered":"
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An Islamic State group militant from the UK has been sentenced to life in prison by a US court for his involvement with a terror cell.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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El Shafee Elsheikh, 34, was convicted in April of hostage-taking, conspiracy to murder US citizens and supporting a terrorist organisation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Addressing the Sudanese-born Londoner, the judge called his actions “horrific, barbaric, brutal and criminal”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Elsheikh was the highest profile IS fighter to stand trial in the US.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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His actions are said to have resulted in the deaths of four US hostages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff and aid workers Kayla Mueller and Peter Kassig were all kidnapped and killed at the hands of the cell.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Elsheikh has been sentenced to eight life sentences, served concurrently, with no option for parole.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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He declined the judge’s offer to make a comment before sentencing was handed down – his silence has been consistent.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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He did make a request – which was to not be sent to ADX in Colorado, a supermax prison that provides a higher, more controlled level of custody than a maximum security prison. Inmates there are kept largely in solitary confinement.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Hostage families expressed a mixture of gratitude and disappointment for the outcome. Standing outside the courthouse on Friday, James Foley’s mother, Diane, called the sentencing a “hollow victory,” but said that it did show that “US justice will find you wherever you are”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“Our country has lost four of its very best citizens. We families lost loved ones forever,” she said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The sentencing came on the eight-year anniversary of Foley’s death. Mrs Foley\u00a0told the BBC that when she first heard of her son’s death<\/a>\u00a0she thought it was “some cruel joke”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Hostages said Elsheikh was part of a notorious cell nicknamed “the Beatles” – after the band – because of their British accents.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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